Adjustable dumb-bell.



H. w. mus. ADJUSTABLE DUMB BELL.

A?PLIUATION FILED IEIBJ, 1909.

Patented Feb. 21', 1911.

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HENRY W. TITUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE DUMB-BELL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY WV. TI'rUs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, (whose post-oiiice address is 156 East Twenty-third street, New York, N. Y.,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Dumb-Bells, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art may make and use the same.

The invention relates to dumb-bells or exercising apparatus, that is, a weight consisting of spheres or spheroids interconnected by a bar or handle to be used in gymnastic exercises for developing the muscles and strength of the user.

It relates more particularly to a device of the character defined in which the weight of the dumb-bell may be varied at will for purposes hereinafter defined and is in fact so formed that it may be readily assembled or unassembled, forming a knockdown device which may be easily packed for shipment or carried by the user when traveling.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple, and eiiicient device which may be constructed with great economy as to cost and will have various features which include variability as to weight and compactness when knocked-down or unassembled.

A further object is to provide a device of very light construction, the several parts of which, when fitted together, form practically an integral structure having great stability and adapted to be weighted to any degree within reasonable limits.

A still further object is to provide a simple device in which the weight may be increased or diminished to any degree.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in elevation with parts broken away in section to illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the shells or sections which together constitute one of the spheroids or balls, they being represented as separated from each other and from the handle.

It has long been a practice to use dumbbells for physical development and such dumb-bells have been formed in various ways, either with a pair of spheroids with a comparatively short intermediate handle or in the form of what is known as a barbell, that is, a device with a very long han- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1909.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

Serial No. 475,458.

dle or bar having weights at both ends there of, or the kettle-bell has become common in use. The latter device consists of a. spheroid or weight of any desired form having a handle directly applied thereto in the form of a loop. All such devices have been ordinarily of heavy construction and so formed that they cannot be readily taken apart for convenient packing when traveling and ordinarily they have been made of diflerent sizes and different weights, so that their utility for exercising is really limited to their use in a specific place such as a gym nasium, where dumbbells of various sizes and weights may be used from time to time.

For developing the muscles by physical exercise, where dumb-bells should be employed, it is important that the weights used be changed from day to day. They may be gradually increased as to weight or having attained certain developments, it may be necessary to decrease the weights for a period, in order to secure a perfect development and formation of muscular tissue. lVith the ordinary dumb-bells, which are made in sets according to fixed sizes, it is often diflicult to secure the proper weight to correspond to the gradual muscular develop ment, particularly as dumb-bells ordinarily are made infixed sizes and fixed weights. Furthermore, they are cumbersome and cannot readily be taken apart and packed by the user who may desire to proceed with his calisthenics and exercise while traveling.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device which may be readily assembled or taken apart and packed, and which may be varied to almost an infi11itesimal degree as to changes of weight.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a short handle having a central bore through which is passed a spindle or clamp ing bar 2. On either end of said handle are arranged hollow spheres or spheroids 8, 4. Each of these spheres consists of two sections 5, and 6, which are preferably formed from pressed-up sheet metal, and at their adjacent edges are joined through a beveled joint 7 The hemispherical sections, 5, 6, are passed over the spindle 2, as represented in Fig. 1, and are secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by having the ends of the spindle screw-threaded, at 32, and engag- 111?; with correspondingly threaded apertures in the outer sections, 6, of the balls of the dumb bell.

I11 order that the interior of the spheroids or balls, 3 and 4, may be charged with shot, sand, or other suitable material, to give to the dumb bell the desired weight, I form in the sections apertures or perforations which may be opened or closed at the will of the user. The sections, and G, are, as above stated, preferably formed of drawnup metal and have their meeting edges shaped into a long bevel, adapted to form a closed joint when the parts of the dumb bell are properly assembled. In the section 5, an opening 36, is formed through the beveled or tapered edge. In the section (3, there is a similar opening 37. \Vhen these two openings are brought into registering position, it is obvious that shot or other material may be introduced to or removed from the interior of the hollow spheres. When they have been weighted to a sufficient degree, a partial rotation of the section 5, with reference to the section 6, will place the respective openings out of registering position, and therefore there will be no direct opening through the wall of the hollow sphere.

From the above it will be seen that the spheroidal weights or weight retainers may be made of very light material, such as stamped-up steel or other metal, and yet they may be loaded to any reasonable degree providing a dumb-bell, the weight of which may be varied to almost an infinitesimal degree from day to day. By very gradually increasing the weights used for certain daily exercise, a muscular development will be secured, which will not be so forced as to give knotty, hard muscles with improper circulat-ion. The development may be made so gradual that the necessary length of fiber with toughening of the tissue may be secured with perfectcirculation of the blood. In fact, the possible changes are so varied and many that practically any condition of muscular development may be secured by proper variations in the charging of the spheres. Furthermore, the user may continue his exercises even when traveling, as the device may be very conveniently taken apart or assembled and occupies comparatively little space when nested and packed. A further advantage resides in the ability to use a non-metallic handle.

Obviously, the various details might be modified withoutdeparting from the spirit or intent of the invention.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A dumb bell having a handle and hollow spherical bodies at the ends of the handle, said bodies being each formed of hemispherial shell-like sections overlapping each other, one of the sections of each sphere being 1'0- tatable about an axis extending longitudinally through the handle of the dumb bell, and the overlapping parts of the shells be ing perforated, the perforations being arranged to be brought into registry with each other when the rotatable shell is movedto one position, and to be moved out of registry and the spheres closed when the said shell is turned into any other position.

HENRY TITUS.

Witnesses GEORGE lVu. OLUNE, JOHN T. E. VAN DERVEER. 

